Healthy vision is as important to a newborn baby as it is to someone who is 95 years old. Although most of us take our sight for granted, diseases, accidents, infections, and age can all endanger our vision. The human eye is a sophisticated organ, comprised of numerous parts working together to provide clear vision. It is similar to a camera.

Every comprehensive eye examination at Azman Eye Care Specialists will assess the health of your eyes including a glaucoma screening, an evaluation of the internal and external structures of your eyes to detect the presence of disease or other abnormalities that may impair your vision or affect your general health.

To allow the doctor the best view of the internal structures of the eye, your eyes may be dilated through the use of eye drops. These drops cause the iris to open wide, giving the doctor a good view inside your eye. By viewing the internal structures of your eyes, your doctor can gain information about your general health as well as the health of your eyes. Certain diseases can be first diagnosis through your doctor's observation of changes he/she may notice in the back of your eyes.

We encourage you to ask any of our doctors questions about diseases including cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, blepharitis, eye infections-pink eye, flashes and floaters, retinal tears and detachment, infectious ocular diseases, allergic and inflammatory eye conditions, Dry Eye Syndrome, Keratoconus, etc. We will provide you with all the necessary information and care you need to obtain the highest level of eye health.

The eyes are complex sensory organs. About 85% of the total sensory input to our brains originates from our sense of sight, while the other 15% comes from the other four senses of hearing, smell, touch, and taste. The eyes are designed to optimize vision under conditions of varying light. Their location, on the outside of the face, makes them susceptible to trauma, environmental chemicals and particles, and infectious agents. The eyelids and the position of the eye within the bony orbital cavity are the major protective mechanism for the eye.

Early detection and treatment could prevent vision loss!
Many diseases can be prevented with education in basic hygiene, proper nutrition and medical care.
Your best defense is to have regular checkups, because eye diseases do not always have symptoms. See an eye care professional right away if you have a sudden change in vision or everything looks dim or if you see flashes of light. Other symptoms that need quick attention are pain, double vision, fluid coming from the eye and inflammation.


Some Common Causes of Vision Loss

Cataracts
There are over 1 million Cataract operations performed annually in the USA. Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure with a very high success rate. Due to the lack of modern medical technology in the developing world, it is also the world's leading cause of blindness. Over 16 million people are blind from cataracts.
 
Age-Related Macular Degeneration - (AMD)
This is a degenerative disease of the macula; the macula is the part of the retina responsible for central vision. There is no way yet of repairing the vision that has been lost, but if detected early laser surgery can help slow the progression of the disease. (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in people over age 65. Eight million people are legally blind from macular degeneration worldwide and as the population ages this number is expected to grow.

Glaucoma
This disease increases the fluid pressure inside the eye, leading to loss of side vision and eventually total blindness. The increased pressure destroys the optic nerve. With early detection, it can be kept under control with pressure reducing eye drops and surgery. Chances of developing it increase with age. There are over five million people blind from glaucoma worldwide.

Diabetic Retinopathy
This complication of diabetes is a leading cause of blindness among middle-aged Americans. The longer a person has had diabetes the more apt they are to develop diabetic retinopathy. Laser surgery can slow the progression of this disease along with management of blood glucose levels. There are 2.4 million people blind from retinopathy worldwide.

Retinitis Pigmentosa - (RP)
This rare inherited degenerative disease slowly destroys the retina. Signs of (RP) first show up in early childhood. The side vision is lost first. The Disease progresses over many years leaving the person with only a small portion of their central vision. There is on cure for (RP) yet. There are 1.6 million people blind from (RP) worldwide.

Eye Injuries
Over 1 million people are blind worldwide from eye injuries. 90% of injuries can be avoided by using proper eye protection. If you are reading this page now because you or a loved one has an eye injury, turn your computer off and get medical attention. Any eye injury is a medical emergency.

Optic Nerve Hypoplasia
With this birth defect the optic nerve that connects the eye to the brain has not developed properly, it is underdeveloped. This happens before birth leaving the child with mild to sever vision loss. In most cases, there is no known cause.

Retinopathy of Prematurity - (ROP)
This is an eye disease of premature babies. Soon after birth, abnormal blood vessels start to grow on the retina eventually destroying it. No one is quite sure what causes this disease, but premature birth and low birth weight are thought to be the main causes. With modern medical procedures, only 400 babies a year go blind from this condition. In the 1950's the number of babies blind from (ROP) reached epidemic proportions.

Neurological Visual Impairment (NVI)
Children with (NVI) have normal eyes, but a part of the brain responsible for seeing is damaged. It can be caused from a lack of oxygen before, during, and after birth. Diseases like meningitis or traumatic brain injury can also cause it. Many of the children with (NVI) are multihandicapped. Vision loss can be temporary or last a lifetime.

Ocular Albinism
With this inherited birth defect, people have no pigment or reduced pigment in their eyes, skin and hair. This pigment called melanin is needed for the full development of the retina. Children with this condition have mild to sever vision loss and are very light sensitive.

Coloboma
Coloboma is a Greek word, which means mutilation. People with Coloboma are missing a portion of the structure of the eye. The human eye develops between the fourth and fifteenth week of pregnancy. As the eye starts to develop, a gap opens on the underside of each eye bud. This gap provides a way for the developing eye to be nourished. This gap, called the optic fissure, has to close before the eye is fully developed. Coloboma is the incomplete closer of the optic fissure. Gaps can occur in the eyelid, iris, ciliary body, lens, retina, macula, choroid and optic disc. It can cause from mild to sever vision loss. Coloboma occurs in about 1 in 10,000 births.